Primary sarcomatoid lung cancer: clinical and evolutive features: about five cases

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung are rare non small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) recently individualized by the World Health Organization. Their clinical, radiological and evolutive features are not well known but they seem to have bad prognosis with rapid progression and early metastases. Although they are felt to be chemo-refractory they must be treated as the other subtypes of NSCLC.

To evaluate clinical, radiological and evolutive features of primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung.

We report the cases of five patients presenting sarcomatoid carcinomas and assess their clinical and evolutive data.

One patient had stage IIB cancer underwent surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy, he is alive 18 months later; another had stage IIIB was treated by radio and chemotherapy and is alive 6 months later; and three other patients had stage IV in whom one had chemotherapy, the two others did not because of they had performance status. They died 1 to 3 months after the diagnosis.

Lung sarcomatoid carcinomas are of bad prognosis. Their treatment is nowadays not well established. Much more good studies are therefore needed.